The invention relates to a ground target for simulating the heat silhouette of an object, particularly that of a vehicle such as a tank.
In this area, heat targets heated by the Joule effect are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,032 describes a three-dimensional target made of electrically insulating, fire-resistant material, covered in certain spots by a heating coating in order to simulate the heat signature of the tank.
Also, French Patent 2716962 describes a three-dimensional simulation decoy, particularly for a tank, which has a support structure made of assemblable metal elements on which is disposed a camouflage cover and heating means are placed at certain spots in order to simulate the heat signature of the tank.
Moreover, European Patent 156070 describes a device with adjustable heat transmitting means covering at least partially a three-dimensional support structure similar to the shape of the vehicle to be simulated, the heat transmitting means being comprised of modular elements disposed on an intermediate solid structure, the modular elements being plate-shaped diffusors, with at least one heater being associated with the inside surface of each diffusor.
These targets have a number of drawbacks. The first is that either the observer has to move or the target has to be manipulated in a cumbersome manner to allow the target to be observed from several observation angles. Moreover, in the case of the three-dimensional targets of the prior art, infrared radiation reflections are produced between each of the various facets of the target, complicating precise simulation of the infrared signature of the object to be simulated.
Further the heat targets reproduce only a uniform heat silhouette by contrast and do not allow variations over a broad temperature range to be achieved.